The Labour was found guilty by the Constitutional Court of unlawfully retaining private property for use as a political club, the Nationalist Party said.

"The Labour Party should be ashamed to speak about anyone else's debt, when for years it has been robbing Maltese families of their right to enjoy their own property."

A Constitutional Court judgment earlier this week found the Labour Party guilty of depriving the owners of a house in Birżebbuġa of their right to enjoy their property for a full 45 years, the PN said. "The property had been taken from them by a Labour Government in the 1980s and handed over to the Labour Party to be used as a political club. The Court has now ordered thousands in compensation for this theft - money that will ultimately be paid by the people."

"The Court stated that the Labour Party had violated the fundamental rights of these private owners and ordered the party to vacate the premises within two months. It also ruled that the owners be awarded €830,000 in damages and a further €20,000 in moral damages."

This means the Maltese public will now have to fork out €840,000 in compensation that the Court ordered be paid to this family because Labour had illegally seized their property years ago, the PN said. "The Court also ruled that half of the moral damages be paid by the Attorney General and the Housing Authority, with only the remaining half to be paid directly by the Labour Party. This is because Labour was in collusion with the Housing Authority in converting the property into a Labour Party club."

"As a result, the Maltese people will be footing the €840,000 bill for the Labour Party's theft. The Labour Party conveniently reduces its own debts by stealing what rightfully belongs to the people. This is something the PN has never done, and will never do."

"The Labour Party has long lost all moral compass and is now ruled by greed - grabbing whatever it can, even what is not theirs. A party that robs Maltese citizens to fill its own pockets is not fit to lead this country."

The Labour Party says it respects the decision of the Constitutional Court

The Labour Party, in response, said it always respects the decisions of our Courts, "even if it does not necessarily agree with what was decided in the ruling handed down by the Constitutional Court in relation to property in Birżebbuġa."

"In the light of today's decision to the Government and the Labour Party, the Labour Party is currently consulting with its lawyers on this ruling of the Constitutional Court."

"The only Government that has acted to address justice done to owners and tenants living in private residential property with a pre-1995 lease, it was a Labour Government that introduced the mechanism to strike a fair balance between the interests of the parties concerned, i.e. owners and tenants, the majority of whom are elderly."

"The Nationalist Party is trying to divert its serious problems, including financial problems. These problems are so great for the Nationalist Party that they have brought him to a point that today one of its key MPs is suggesting that the PN should sell its station and leave its Headquarters."